Shiver Me Timbers
by MajinCammy
Summary: Canon –10 years into the future. Written for the Secret Santa event.


Title: Shiver Me Timbers  
Pairing: Callie/Arizona  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Canon –10 years into the future.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I do not intend to profit in any way, shape or form by posting this story. It's for fun, nothing more, and nothing less. Please don't sue me.

A/N: Happy holidays, everyone! This is a present for Pens_co927, my secret santa victim! ;)

I hope you like it, even though it's unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine, feel free to laugh at my misfortune. Thank you to brittlovesher for helping me out by writing a small chunk I was stuck on. I'm going to have another author's note at the bottom along with the prompt, since it gives away a little surprise in the story.

* * *

"Gee Mrs. Robbins, we thought Sofia was joking when she said her mom was a real pirate!" Seth's eyes were wide with wonder as he took in Arizona's costume.

Sofia was so excited that her parents were allowing her to have a Halloween party that she took it a step further and made it a pirate theme party, in honor of her mother, the real pirate.

Arizona cackled as she tapped her peg leg against the hardwood floor of their living room. "Aye, wee matey. I come from a long line o' fierce pirates, like t' Dread Pirate Roberts and t' Mighty Blackbeard. And me little Sofia has learned t' plunder and pillage from t' best, so ye best be mindin' manners in this here ship."

"Aye matey! Aye matey!" The green and red parrot on Arizona's shoulder squawked loudly, sending fifteen eleven year olds into a fit of giggles.

Callie's eyes rolled as she leaned into her wife in order to whisper into her ear, "Did you really have to borrow our neighbors parrot for this?"

Arizona just grinned widely, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "Ye expect anythin' less?" And then she promptly swatted her wife on the ass. "Wench! Get back t' ye work, this pirate needs moooore ale!"

"Need ale! Need ale!" The parrot mimics loudly as Callie rolls her eyes again, turning to the kitchen while mumbling about freaky neighbors with pirate obsessions and parrots.

The party went on and children of all ages (even the ones over the age of forty) were having a great time. Callie was worried Arizona wasn't going to be much fun at this party due to the bad news she had gotten earlier in the day. Owen had decided to retire as chief and the race was on for a new one, a job which Arizona greatly wanted and believed she deserved. However, luck being a fickle chance, she found out that the board has decided to go with another person. Callie felt terrible and disagreed with the board decision, but was proud to see Arizona didn't seem very bothered. She was sure they would discuss it later.

Callie was brought out of her musings when her twins crashed into her, asking if they could have a second piece of cake. Timothy Mark and Riley Madison were six year old terrors that looked like Arizona and had enough energy to power the world for an eternity. They were ghosted by a quiet Carter Jordan, also known as CJ, their youngest daughter and the last of their children according to Arizona, despite promising Callie ten. The thought made Callie grin and she ruffled Tim's hair and shook her head. "No more cake for you guys."

"Aww, come on Mom!" Tim begged and batted his blue eyes at her.

"Mommy said we could have more," Riley said, her dimples popping out with a wide smile.

"Mo' cake, Mama," CJ said with a shy smile hiding behind her ever present pink teddy bear.

Callie stared for a moment, both twins doing their best to change her mind and CJ trying to keep up with them. She laughed and shook her head, "Okay, okay, you can put the weapons away! You can each have another small piece, but then no more candy or soda, okay?"

"Yay!" Both twins ran around Callie before disappearing into the living room for more cake, CJ following along on her wobbly four year old legs. Callie couldn't help but chuckle at their enthusiasm.

The night finally started to calm down and children had left to their homes while exclaiming how this was the best party ever. Arizona returned the parrot to their neighbors and was currently working on cleaning up the mess it made as Callie put the kids to bed.

An hour and a half later the cleaning was done, showers were taken and both women were sitting in bed with infectious smiles.

"I think Sofia really had a great time. She spent the entire time making sure I was near her friends and watching her play," Arizona said as she propped herself on her elbow to she could turn and talk to Callie.

Callie laughed and nodded, "Oh definitely. But you missed it when the twins came to me and begged for extra cake with CJ following them. I couldn't say no. And then I had to spend fifteen minutes cleaning chocolate frosting off CJ."

They both broke into a chorus of giggles. Callie stared at Arizona for several moments as she giggled, but then she watched her wife as she tilted her head and raised a brow. "What?" She asked while pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, worried about the sudden mood change.

"Nothing, just… You're beautiful. And, though we've had some really tough crap flung at us early in our relationship, we made it. Ten amazing years with you and it just amazes me that I feel more connected to you than ever." The wide smile never left her face as Arizona just leaned in to kiss her soundly. After a few moments, Arizona leaned back and smiled as Callie gently caressed her cheek, "And I was also wondering when you were going to bring up the Chief stuff so we can talk about it."

Arizona sighed deeply and leaned back into her pillows. "What's there to talk about, Calliope?" She ran a hand through her blonde hair and then back over her face while she sighed again. "I went for it and they chose someone else. There were a lot of candidates trying for the position and I tried and lot, so I can't really be that upset about it. What kind of role model would I be for our babies if got angry and upset over every opportunity I've lost?"

Arizona giggled softly and leaned back into Callie, arms wrapping around her wife while she placed a kiss upon her shoulder. "Besides, it would be weird to be your boss. I don't know how Cristina and Owen ever did that."

Callie's chest heaved with a laugh as she slid one hand up and down Arizona's back. "Oh, I could think of some interesting games we could play." Arizona glanced up at her wife and Callie wiggled her eyebrows, which just sent them both giggling again.

"But seriously, Calliope, I'm okay with it. I have an awesome job, an awesome wife, four awesome kids and none of that is changing just because I didn't get an even more stressful job than the one that already takes up a huge chunk of my time." Arizona reached up and gave Callie a kiss before settling back down with a yawn. "Honestly, I think this may have been a blessing in disguise. Now I'll have more time to spend at home with my family and less paperwork, so more surgeries to save tiny humans."

"Yeah, we do have a pretty awesome life," Callie responded as she turned off the light. "And you do have a point because I happen to like having you around, so do the kids." They settled down to sleep, but Callie knew that despite the reassurances, Arizona was a little disappointed at not getting the position.

* * *

Even though Arizona is the Head of Pediatrics and wields more power than half the people in the room, she still finds herself more anxious and nervous than anyone as she sits in the very large conference room, surrounded by her fellow colleagues. The feeling that radiates in the pit of her stomach is something akin to the feeling that she had when she was set to the principal's office for kicking a boy in the balls in the third grade for making fun of her name. Her heart is racing, a hard thudding in her chest, and her palms are sweaty, so much so that she can barely grip at the chair arms to which she is holding so tightly that her knuckles are growing white.

A wave of nausea rushes over her as she brushes her golden blonde curls away from her face. Although she keeps telling Calliope, and hell, even herself, that she is not upset about the fact that she was passed up for the position, she can't help the lump of bitterness that sticks within her throat. She is more than qualified for this position, more than capable of being in control of the entire hospital and making the type of decisions necessary, at least better than most of the people in this room. After all, for weeks she was stranded in the forest and forced to survive on her own. If that didn't teach her a thing or two about leadership, mixed with her father's military skills, she didn't know what else could.

Still, even with the bitterness that is pulsing through her veins, she is nothing but curious and disappointed. She was curious as to who exactly _beat_ her for the position, who the board would think could run this hospital better than she could, and disappointed to know they felt she wasn't the best for the job. She wants to see the person, the _face_ that took away her dream position, the job that would have made her even more capable of supporting her family.

"Who do you think they picked?" Alex asks, swaying his chair back and forth as he clicks anxiously on the pen that he holds tightly in his left hand. Rolling her eyes, Arizona looks at her resident through slanted eyes before she shakes her head, looking back at the door.

"Oh, you know, probably some rich, pompous ass that doesn't know anything about leadership if it smacked them upside the face," Arizona snaps, squeezing tightly to the chair arm beneath her. So tight, in fact, she almost swears that she is clawing her nails into the plastic.

"Ouch. Bitter much?"

"Mind your own beeswax, Karev," Arizona huffs. The radiating glare she is sending the scruffy man's way is almost just enough to melt him on the spot. He opens his mouth to say something else, but when she arches _that_ eyebrow, he knows that he better shut his mouth before her foot is coming out of it.

Groaning in frustration, Arizona sends her fingers through her golden curls once more before the door opens. Instantly, the room falls silent as Owen Hunt takes his place in front of the room, straightening his lab coat with a tug around his broad body. As his emerald eyes find Arizona's, she can feel her heart leap into her throat. This is _absolute_ torture. This is like watching the kid that you hated in school win _everything_ that you ever wanted, this is like being the last puppy left in the cardboard box as the rain starts to set in. This is _hell_.

"I want to thank everyone for coming today. I know that we all have busy schedules, so I will try to make this as short and as painless as possible," Owen begins with a playful smile, trying to ease the atmosphere in the room, but like all the other times, no one laughs. Arizona swallows, shifting in her seat as she tries to force a smile but her lips just _won't_ turn.

"As everyone knows, I'm stepping down as Chief of Surgery at the end of the month. It's certainly been... a challenge; one that I was more than willing to accept. And we've been through both good and bad times together. Unfortunately, not all of us could make it to this point here today and I will always feel responsible for that," Owen pauses, clearing his throat and Arizona's heart sinks slightly at the remembrance of Mark and Lexie. She can still hear those animals as they come for Lexie, she can still recall the look on Calliope's face when she told her that Mark passed away. Even though it's been years since the accident, it is all still just as predominant in their lives as it was the day that it happened.

"The Board took it upon themselves to find someone who is just as qualified as I to take control of this hospital. And while I know that one should not be this excited to see someone take over their job, I know that she is more than ready to take control of this," Owen states, his eyes wandering to Arizona's. However, the look upon his face does not read of excitement or joy, it is one that reads of anxiety, worriment, and fear. Shifting her weight, Arizona arches forward and her eyes focus upon the ginger very strongly.

"I've been in contact with this woman for many years and we've done a lot of work together so I can say with the utmost assurance that she is more than capable of taking on this job. She will lead this hospital to a much better state than I ever could have and she will make sure that each and every one of you are happy with your job and you are getting the credit that you deserve. She has the merits for becoming the Chief of Surgery and it is with pride that I recommended her for the position and am now asked to introduce her to you, although some of you might already know her," Owen smiles awkwardly, his eyes fixated upon Arizona's. Instantly, her heart begins to race quicker in her chest and a new wave of nausea rushes over her. This is someone she _knew_, someone that she has seen, someone that she has communicated with that took this job from her. This could be a friend.

"Everyone, please join me in greeting your new Chief of Surgery, Teddy Altman," The Chief introduces as the door opens and a tall, lanky, dirty blonde steps inside. Suddenly, Arizona feels her world just simply _stop_. Suddenly, the breath gets lost somewhere between her lungs and her chest, her heart forgets to beat, her mind forgets to work, and her body forgets how to exist. She doesn't hair the polite applause as the woman shakes Owen's hand with a smile. Abruptly, standing before her, is the best friend that disappeared without so much as a goodbye as her plane fell out of the sky, standing before her is the woman who has all but forgotten her existence and their friendship. Standing before her, is a woman that she once loved so dearly who has taken the one thing that she wants most in the world at this very moment.

Arizona's hands curl into fists and her eyes narrow at the scene in front of her. And then she stands up sharply, the chair she was sitting on rolling and slamming into the wall behind her as she turns and exits the room from the door in the back, it slamming shut behind her once she's outside.

"Well, that went great," Owen says while scratching the back of his head.

Teddy offered a slight smile to Owen and then looked around the room to many familiar faces, "I'm here to work with all of you and make this hospital even more amazing than it already is. We'll all be working closely together, so don't hesitate to come to me with comments or questions regarding your departments. And thank you for the warm welcome."

They stood together as people started leaving the room, a few coming to the front and introducing themselves and others telling Owen that he did a good job and they were glad he would be remaining as an attending. Once the room cleared out, Teddy flopped into a chair with a sigh and stared up at Owen.

"It's my fault," she said while running her fingers through her hair. "I heard about the accident, watched the coverage closely, I even knew of her injuries, but I didn't think it would be right of me to try and be a friend from distance… And from what you told me about the things they went through, I didn't want to make things worse for her."

"Make things worse for me by letting me know where you were? Because it's not like anyone else was talking about it." Arizona said from the door. Her eyes were rimmed red showing that tears had fallen moments ago.

"It's not like anyone was talking to you at all. You were a little preoccupied with missing a leg," Owen said matter-of-factly as he stepped out of the room and shut the door behind himself, leaving the two old friends in the room together.

Arizona rolled her eyes as he left, but sighed in defeat when his words truly registered in her mind. "He's right, but maybe things wouldn't have gotten that bad if my best friend made herself available to me." She crossed her arms over her chest, her cane forgotten by her side. It took years, but her balance was second nature to her at this point.

"You're right," Teddy said as she stood up and turned to Arizona with tears in her eyes. "I should have been there for you, but I was just fired, starting a new job, and miles away. I was trying to move on from this place… And I know that probably isn't what you want to hear, but it's the truth. And it took me months become comfortable with how things ended, but I've always regretted not keeping in contact with you. It's the only thing I would change if I could."

The two stared at each other in a companionable silence for a few moments before Teddy moved toward Arizona. She slid her arm around Arizona's and then tugged her slightly so that they both headed out of the room once Arizona caught her balance and cane. "Well, you're going to be friends with me," Teddy said with a small grin while leading Arizona down the hall toward the elevators.

Arizona raised a brow, déjà vu happening in her mind before she laughed softly, "I am?"

"Uh huh, I'm an awesome friend," Teddy replied matter-of-factly.

"Is this where you invite me to girl's night?" Arizona asks with a laugh.

"Are you kidding? I just moved back here and I barely know anyone and my best friend is completely mad at me, with good reason, so I need to get back into her good graces. That's why I should take her Joe's tonight?" Teddy asked as they reached the elevator and waited so they could go up to Peds.

Arizona shook her head and laughed, "It's been a while since I went to Joe's, I don't really have the time anymore. Why don't you come over to my place tonight? We can have a nice dinner and catch up and the bonus is you can meet the kids."

"Kids? As in more than one?" Teddy asks as they step on the elevator and choose the floor they're moving too.

"Mmhmm." Arizona answers with a smile. "Four, to be exact. And at least now I have some backup for when Callie starts craving to adopt number five. It took me three months to get out of that last year."

"Holy crap, Robbins with four kids… it feels like yesterday you were complaining about having one." The two laughed for a moment at that thought.

Arizona reached out and grasped Teddy's hand tightly. "I've missed you and I'm glad you're back," her lips curled into a grin as she pulled Teddy into a hug, "Even if you did pillage my job like a dirty pirate."

The elevator doors opened as the two were hugging and Callie stood watching the embrace, thinking her wife was about to go in for the kill, she dropped the coffee she was holding for Arizona and stomped the ground once, "Arizona! We do not kill out ex-best friends! You have four kids that need you at home; we cannot have you going to jail! I'm not going to be one of those jail house wives sneaking contraband into the big house through clothes with pockets in weird places and cakes!" She quickly stepped forward and pulled Arizona away from Teddy.

The two women looked at each other, then Callie, who seemed a tad bit high-strung even after her rant and the two broke into laughter. It took Callie a few moments to realize just how absurd her speech was and she started laughing too. Arizona reached out and grabbed her wife's hand. "It's okay, Calliope. We talked and were friends. In fact, she's coming over tonight and you're going to cook an awesome meal for us while we catch up and play with the kids."

"I am, am I?" Callie just shook her head slightly as they all walked off the elevator, Arizona and Callie still hand in hand.

"Yup. That's what my wench does." Arizona grinned while pinching Callie's rear end.

"Hey! That's it, no more pirate themed anything ever again," Callie said with a laugh, Teddy and Arizona following suit. "And this is just great, another aunt for CJ to wrap around their finger. Our kids are way too spoiled."

"I'm looking forward to it," Teddy said with a smile. She really did miss Arizona while she was away. And at this moment, she knew that returning to SGMW was the best decision she had made in a long time.

* * *

A/N #2: I hope you enjoyed the story! Pens_co927 prompted me with: Ten years post-plane crash. SGMW gets a new Chief of Surgery in the form of Teddy Altman. How does Arizona, who was up for the position, react to losing to her former friend. I hope I nailed it. :x Have a happy and safe holiday!


End file.
